Righting a Wrong (A Ripple Effect Romance Novella) by Rachael Anderson Page B

toward the house. She walked up the crumbling path and finally stopped on the cold, hard earth just outside the large front window. Although it was dark inside, if she pressed her nose against the glass, she could make out a staircase with white painted wooden slats and a dark stained handrail. What appeared to be a new hardwood floor spread through the front room and back into the dining area, and everything from paint cans to left over wooden planks cluttered a table beyond. It was still a work in progress, but the inside was shaping up to be as beautiful as the outside.
    An engine rumbled in the distance, glittering stars reflected in the window, and Cambri waged a war in her heart. She’d gone to a great school, gained a valuable education, and now she had a wonderful, fulfilling job. Why did she feel like her life had veered off course? That she belonged here and not in North Carolina? It didn’t make sense. Other than her father, there was nothing here for her in Bridger anymore. No job. No future. No life. Moving back would be nothing more than a constant, in-her-face reminder of what she’d given up.
    This was her past. Charlotte was her future.
     

A peaceful feeling of home struck Jace as he drove into Bridger. It had been a long day of haggling with suppliers over raised prices and stressing about what it would mean for his business. He’d cut back everywhere he could, but it wasn’t enough, and if prices continued to rise and his revenues stayed flat, in only a matter of years he’d have to cut his losses and close up shop. The thought made him ill.
    Jace needed to decompress and get his mind on other things. He’d go home, eat whatever he could find, take a long, hot shower, and find a home improvement show on TV. Tomorrow, he’d worry about the store.
    As he pulled into his driveway, he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and slammed on the brakes. A woman stood outside his front window with her nose pressed to the glass. He leaned forward and squinted. Was that Cambri?
    Ever so slowly, she twisted around, moving her hand up to shade her eyes against the light. Next to the darkness of her hair, her face looked pale, almost Snow White-ish. It was pulled back into a loose knot, with a few locks framing her face and deep, red lips. If there was a magic mirror around, it would probably decree Cambri as the fairest one of all.
    Too bad Jace was no prince charming.
    He quickly killed his engine and his lights with it, leaving Cambri standing in the darkness. She must have recognized his truck because she closed her eyes and shook her head, as though wishing the ground would swallow her whole.
    A smile tugged at the corner of Jace’s mouth. In all of his memories, Cambri had always faced life head-on without the typical insecurity or awkwardness that most teenagers experienced. But ever since she returned, or at least whenever Jace bumped into her, that confidence seemed to take a back seat to fluster. It was refreshing and even endearing, as much as he hated to admit it.
    Jace slid from his truck and closed the door with a slam. He took a few steps toward her and stopped. “Stalking again, are we?”
    She lifted her hands, palms facing up. “You caught me.” She drew her lower lip into her mouth in a nervous gesture, as though she had no idea how to explain her current peeping Tom status. Finally, she shrugged. “It’s not like I set out to spy on you. I was out wandering around and couldn’t resist dropping by my favorite old house—which is now yours, I hear.”
    She made it sound like recent news, as though she’d just found out. “From whom?”
    “Lydia. She was just leaving when I showed up.” Cambri gnawed on her lower lip again before rushing on to say, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have peeked, but you’ve done such a great job with the outside, I just wanted to see what the inside looked like.”
    “Oh.” Jace wasn’t sure how he felt about her liking the house. While the